PETITION TO THE PRESIDENT OF POMONA COLLEGE

California, fight for free speech on campus!

A movement of students at Pomona College, part of the Claremont Consortium, is demanding the president of the college silence conservatives on campus. These students have sent a letter demanding that he take disciplinary action against the student journalists who write for the conservative paper on campus, The Claremont Independent.

This letter goes against the very purpose of the university – the search for truth and knowledge. Please sign this petition to the president of the college, David W. Oxtoby, urging him to safeguard and protect the mission of the university by protecting the ability of all students to speak freely and pursue truth.

These students are pushing to eliminate free speech and to silence anyone that may make them feel uncomfortable. No one who espouses “hateful” views, according to these students, should be able to speak on campus. For example, conservative students who are critical of some aspects of the Black Lives Matter movement shouldn’t be allowed to speak.

Recently, Manhattan Institute scholar Heather MacDonald was prevented from speaking on campus by student protests because she has been critical of some aspects of the Black Lives Matter movement. Student protesters physically barricaded the building where she was set to present and prohibited other students from listening to her address.

The conservative student paper, The Claremont Independent, rightly criticized the students involved in protesting MacDonald.

But instead of responding to the ideas presented by the Independent—by espousing the virtues of movements opposed to racial bias, for instance—students offended by any pro-police or conservative ideas are acting like spoiled children and throwing a tantrum until their opinions are the only ones permitted on campus.

This sounds more like a lawless mob than a college campus. A college campus is supposed to be a place where students search for truth freely. In the marketplace of ideas, the best ideas win by merit of their argument and validity – not by silencing speech that one disagrees with or is even offended by.

Please be the voice of reason to President Oxtoby and respectfully ask that he restore order on campus and protect the ability of all of his students to engage freely in the marketplace of ideas.

A group of students who feel marginalized has sent you a letter demanding you take disciplinary action against the student journalists who write for the conservative paper on campus, The Claremont Independent.

This letter rejects the very purpose of the university – the search for truth and knowledge. These students are pressuring you to silence any speech that may make them feel uncomfortable.

After Manhattan Institute scholar Heather MacDonald was prevented from speaking on campus due to student protests The Claremont Independent criticized the students involved in protesting MacDonald.

But instead of responding to the ideas presented by the Independent, students offended by the Independent are asking you to shut them down.

I urge you not to do so. A college campus is supposed to be a place where students search for truth freely. In the marketplace of ideas, the best ideas win by merit of their argument and validity not what may or may not offend a particular group of students.

I respectfully ask that you restore order on campus and protect the ability of all of your students to engage freely in the marketplace of ideas.